Electrical conductor outlet



NOV. 15, 1938. GQRT ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR OUTLET Filed May 3, 1938 3Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR rf YTW ATTORNEY Nov. 15, 1938. G R 2,136,547

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR OUTLET FiledMay 3, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORBY l ATTORN EY Nov. 15, 1938. G. GORT 2,136,547

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR OUTLET Filed May 3, 1958 I: Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORATTORNEY Patented Nov. 15, 1938 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOROUTLET Godfrey Gort, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Western Railroad SupplyCompany, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 3, 1938, Serial No. 205,669

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an electrical cable outlet generally referredto as a bootleg, a term applied to structures for bringing out a parkwaycable such as used with railway signal track circuits. Sometimes thiscable is carried in wood conduits commonly called trunking, and in othercases, in metal conduits having outlet risers at the places where it isdesired to make connection with the conductor or cable.

It is the principal object of my present invention to simplify theconstruction and cost of such outlets.

Another object of my invention is to provide an outlet in which amaximum coverage or protection is given to the parkway conductor orcable and the outgoing cables.

Other objects will be discernible by one skilled in this art, from areading of the specification taken in connection with the annexeddrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a part-elevational and part-sectional view through one formof my improved type of outlet as applied to a wood pump log.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1, with the cap removed and a partof the interior mechanism broken away to show the method of makingconnection to the parkway conductor and outgoing cables.

Ffgure 3 is a plan view of one of the clamping members shown in Figures1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of another one of the clamping members used inconjunction with the clamping members shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a part-elevational and part-sectional view of a modifiedform of outlet as applied to a pipe.

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 5, with the top portion of thefitting shown in elevation, but showing a different method of attachmentto the pipe.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the fitting shown in Figure 5, but with thecap removed and some of the interior parts broken away as in Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the structure shown in Figure l, with amodified form of clamping means.

Figure 9 shows a modified form of one of the clamping members.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing a modified form offitting applied to a pump log.

Figure 11 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure 10, with thecap removed and a portion of the interior broken away to show the methodof making connection to the electrical conductor and outgoing cables.

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 11, but with all of the interiorparts removed.

Figure 13 is a plan view of the bottom clamping member or the one whichengages the outgoing cable.

Figure 14 is a plan View of the top clamping member which is positionedabout the member shown in Figure 13 when in assembled position as inFigure 10.

Referring now to the details wherein like numbers refer to correspondingparts in the various views, I is a pump log having a parkway cableconductor 2 therein. The end of the conductor 2 passes through anopening 3, over which is placed a fitting 4, the same being fastened tothe pump log in any satisfactory manner as by lag screws 5 positioned inoppositely disposed ears 6.

Extending upwardly from the base portion of the fitting 4 is anintegral, circularly formed por tion I which, as shown in Figure 1, hasexternal threads 8 which are engaged by internal threads on the flangeof cap member ii. The cap member 9 is preferably provided with a hexhead It for the application of a wrench thereto. Positioned within thecentrally disposed space of the upwardly extending portion I of thefitting, are a pair of discs II and I2. The base of the fitting 4preferably has grooves to receive the outgoing or bond cables I 3, andthe disc or clamping member I I may be provided with cooperatinggrooves,

although these are not absolutely necessary.

The top surface of the member ll may have a depressed surface I4, withinwhich is seated the coiled or curled up end I5 of the conductor 2, itbeing understood that the diameter of the conductor 2 is greater thanthe depth of the depressed portion I4, so that the clamping member I2may always engage the curled end IS without coming into contact with therim I6 of the member II, whereby when the cap 9 is screwed into lockingposition, the two members II and I2 grip the curled end I5 of theconductor 2 securely in place, as Well as the outgoing cables I3. Also,it is to be noted that the thickness of the members II and I2, taken inconnection with the conductor, is such that the central interior area ofthe cap 9 will always contact with the member [2 and, preferably, doesnot come into engagement with the upper edge of the projecting portion'1 of the fitting, so the conductor will always be securely clamped bythe cap which performs the function of acting as a cover for concealingthe clamping members and the conductors engaged by them, as well as toact as the medium for applying a clamping force to the clamping membersH and I2.

Cir

Before the cap 9 is set into locking position, it is to be understoodthat the members H and 12 are loosely and slidably positioned within theextended portion of the fitting which, it may be noted, has a hole I?for the passage of the conductor 2 therethrough, and the clamping memberH likewise has a hole l8 therein for the pas" sage of the conductor 2 toits position between the clamping members ll and I2.

In Figure 5 the extended portion 1 of the fitting is internally threadedand the cap or cover is externally threaded in the form of a plug, butotherwise the method of making connections to the parkway conductor 2 isthe same as has been described with respect to Figure 1. In this form,the conductor 2 is shown as coming through a pipe Ed on which a flangemember 25 is screw-threaded or welded, and the ears 6 are provided withbushings 2| and insulators 22, the entire base of the fitting beinginsulated from the flange member 29 by an insulator 23.

In Figure 6 the fitting itself is provided with a depending skirt 24which is slotted at 25 and provided with clamping ears 26 to fasten thedepending skirt 24 in position, an insulator 2'! being used to insulatethe fitting from the pipe Hi.

In Figure 10 the fitting is fastened to a pump log I, the same as inFigure l, but the integrally upwardly extending portion 1 is cut out soas to provide an interior space which extends transversely across theextended portion 1. Within this centrally disposed space is located aclamping member 28 having grooves 29 for receiving the outgoing cablesH5. The upper surface of the member 28 has a depressed area M, the sameas the member H in Figure 4, for the purpose of providing a seat for thecurled end l5 of the conductor 2.

The top clamping member 38, shown in Figure 14, is positioned Within thecentrally disposed space as indicated in Figure 10, in such a way thatit will be gripped by the cap 9 when the cap is screwed downwardly intolocking position. The member 28 has a hole IS, the same as the member Hfor the passage of the conductor 2.

In Figure 8 I have shown a modified form of construction in which only asingle clamping member 3| is shown. The member BI is of a thicknessextending-above the rim 32 of the extended portion 1 and the curled endiii of the cable 2 is shown in direct contact with the cen tral interiorarea of the cap 9. Because of the liability of the conductor 2 beingtwisted within the pump log or pipe by this construction, I prefer tointroduce an intermediate member such as l2 between the interior surfaceof the cap and the curled end l5 of the conductor as shown in Figure 1.

In some cases the top surface of the member l 2 may be provided withrelatively fine lenurls 33, and even the interior central surface of thecap may be provided with fine knurls to secure a locking engagementbetween the cap 9 and the extended portion of the fitting. A suitabletype of lock washer may also be used between the upper surface of theclamping member l2 and the interior central surface of the cap so as toprevent vibrations from passing trains from loosening the cap.

Other details may be varied without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An electrical conductor outlet including a member through which theconductor is brought,

a fitting having a base portion mounted on said member, said fittinghaving an integral circularly formed threaded portion extending upwardlyfrom the base portion with a centrally disposed space therein, thefitting having a hole through the base portion to permit the passage ofsaid conductor from said member into said space, said base portionhaving transverse passageways therein at the bottom of said space andintersecting said space, to receive outgoing cables, clamping meanspositioned within said space for engaging said conductor and theoutgoing conductors or cables and a threaded member engaging saidthreaded portion on the fitting for forcing said clamping means tosecurely grip the conductors or cables.

2. An electrical conductor outlet including a member through which theconductor is brought, a fitting having a base portion mounted on saidmember, said fitting having an integral circularly formed threadedportion extending upwardly from the base portion with a centrallydisposed space therein, the fitting having a hole through the baseportion to permit the passage of said conductor from said member intosaid space, said base portion having transverse passageways therein atthe bottom of said space and intersecting said space, to receiveoutgoing cables, clamping members positioned within said space, onemember having a hole therein for passage of the said conductor, thecurled end of which is positioned between certain of said clampingmembers while the outgoing cable or cables are positioned between theclamping member having the hole therein and the base of the fitting anda threaded member engaging said threaded portion on the fitting forforcing said clamping members to securely grip the conductor and cables.

3. An electrical conductor outlet including a member through which theconductor is brought, a fitting mounted on said member, said fittinghaving an integral upwardly extending cylindrically threaded portion,the fitting having a hole in its base for the passage of the conductorinto said cylindrical portion and also having cross-holes at the base ofthe upwardly extending portion for reception of outgoing cables,clamping means within said portion to engage the conductor and outgoingcables, and a closure member having threads to engage the threads on thecylindrical portion and acting to close the opening into the cylindricalportion and to force said clamping means to securely clamp the conductorand cables.

4. An electrical conductor outlet as set forth in claim 2, furthercharacterized in that the clamping member having the hole therein alsohas a slightly depressed surface to receive the curled end of theconductor.

5. An electrical conductor outlet including a member through which theconductor is brought, a fitting mounted on said member, said fittinghaving an integral upwardly extending part having threads thereon andhaving its central portion removed for the reception of clampingmembers, the fitting having a hole therein for passage of said conductorinto said central portion, clamping members slidably positioned in saidcentral portion before being set up into clamping position, the bottomone of said clamping members having a hole therein for passage of saidconductor therethrough, the conductor end being curled up in a planeparallel to the adjacent faces of said clamping members and clampedbetween said faces and a member having threads for engaging the threadson said extending part for covering and concealing said clamping membersand for forcing them to clamp said conductor and outgoing cablessecurely within said central portion.

6 An electrical conductor outlet including a member through which theconductor is brought, a fitting mounted on said member, said fittinghaving a base portion with an integral upwardly extending part havingthreads thereon and having its central portion removed for the receptionof clamping members, the fitting having a hole therein for passage ofsaid conductor into said central portion, and also having cross-groovesin the central base portion to receive outgoing cables, at least oneclamping member positioned in said central portion and a member havingthreads for engaging the threads on said extending part for covering andconcealing said clamping member and having a centrally disposed area forengaging said clamping member to force it to securely clamp saidconductor and outgoing cables within said central portion of thefitting.

'7. An electrical conductor outlet including a member through which theconductor is brought, a fitting mounted on said member, said fittinghaving a base portion with an integral upwardly extending part havingthreads thereon and having its central portion removed for the receptionof clamping members, the fitting having a hole thereon for passage ofsaid conductor into said central portion, and also having cross-groovesin the central base portion to receive outgoing cables, slidableclamping means positioned Within said central portion and a closuremember having threads for engaging the threads on said extending partfor covering and concealing said slidable clamping means, and having acentrally disposed area for engaging said means to force the same intogripping engagement with said conductor and outgoing cables, and meanslocated between said centrally disposed area and the clamping means forlocking the closure member in gripping position.

GODFREY GORT.

CPI

